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How to Put Your Unborn Child Up for Adoption [Your 3 Options]

If you are considering adoption for your unborn baby because you’re not ready to become a parent, you have three options:

  • Adoption
  • Abortion
  • Parenting

An unplanned pregnancy can be a very intense event, and it’s going to be life-changing no matter what you decide to do. If you find yourself facing an unexpected pregnancy and wondering how to start adoption for your unborn child, you are not alone. There are many reputable adoption professionals who can help.  An unplanned pregnancy doesn’t have to be the end of the road. It can be a path to something wonderful.

Before making any decision regarding your unplanned pregnancy, you should learn as much as you can about your options.

Which route you take is up to you and you alone. You are the only person qualified to make this decision for yourself and your baby, and no one should ever attempt to sway you toward any one choice. However, if you’ve found this article, you’re probably wondering how to put your unborn baby up for adoption. If this is the case and you are having thoughts such as, “I want to adopt out my unborn baby,” or are seeking adoption help for your unborn child, this article is dedicated to explaining that process for you.

HOW TO PUT YOUR UNBORN BABY UP FOR ADOPTION

When it comes to the steps to complete an adoption for your unborn baby, everyone’s process will vary slightly depending on their own individual situation. However, the steps taken to place an unborn child for adoption generally go something like this:

Step 1: Determine, “I want to give my unborn baby up for adoption.”

It’s important to fully commit to adoption for your unborn baby before you begin the adoption process. As we said, this choice is up to you and only you.  If you need help making this decision or exploring your options (including giving your unborn baby up for adoption), you can always contact an adoption counselor to get the support you need.

“Honestly, just sit down and think about the best interest of your child,” Julia said about choosing adoption for her baby. “You’re going to contemplate the decision a hundred times but, at the end of the day, you’re going to know what’s right for you and what’s right for your child. Don’t think that your life is over; yeah, you have a little bump in the road, but that’s not going to stop you.”

Step 2: Work with your adoption professional to create an adoption plan.

Once you select an adoption professional, you’ll work with them to craft an adoption plan specific to you and your needs in giving your unborn child for adoption. Make sure your adoption agency puts you in the driver’s seat of the adoption process in order to pursue adoption for your unborn baby. They should be able to answer every facet of your question, “How do I put my unborn baby up for adoption?”

“You could tell they weren’t just putting on a front to make you want to do it or push you into it,” Angelica said about her adoption professional. “They want whatever you want, and that’s what they told me during the whole process. It wasn’t up to them; they were just going to be there for me no matter what decision I made.”

Step 3: Find someone to adopt your unborn baby.

If you are considering adoption for your unborn baby, know that you get to choose your child’s adoptive family. You’re making sure your child gets the life he or she deserves, and it’s absolutely your right to ensure that he or she gets it. To find someone to adopt your unborn baby, your adoption professional will go over adoption profiles with you and help you to select a family that meets your criteria. Looking for a home for your unborn baby can even be enjoyable with the right adoption professional.

“Rachel said, ‘Frances, you’ll know when you have picked the perfect family,’” Frances said of a conversation with her adoption specialist. “When we talked to Chris and Courtney, in the middle of the conversation, I knew Chris and Courtney were the ones.”

Step 4: Begin to get to know your child’s future adoptive family.

In modern-day adoptions, we always recommend some degree of openness and communication in an adoption situation. This will enable you to develop a relationship with your child as he or she grows up, and watch as they grow into a happy, healthy adult. To begin this relationship, you can start by getting to know the adoptive family you choose while you are still pregnant.

“Once we found each other, it was as if we were attending a normal family get-together. We laughed and talked and enjoyed each other’s company,” Carmen remembered about finding the perfect adoptive family for her baby. “I grew to know and care for them — not only as the couple that would become the parents of my unborn son but as friends and family.”

Step 5: Develop a hospital plan.

Like any other pregnant woman, you’ll develop a birth plan for your child. You’ll determine how you want to deliver, whether or not you want pain medication, who should be in the room, etc. But if you’re considering adoption for your unborn child, you’ll need to go into a bit more detail. Your adoption professional will work with you to go into even more detail about the day. Who should be in the delivery room? Do you want to see the adoptive parents? Do you want time alone with your baby? It’s all entirely up to you.

“I remembered filling out my hospital plan when everything was about me, me, me — but then all that happened, and I felt like it wasn’t about me anymore,” Angelica said about creating her hospital plan. “I couldn’t wait to see them hold her for the first time.

Step 6: Give consent for adoption.

After the baby is born, you’ll need to officially give your consent before the adoption for your baby is complete. When you sign the adoption papers and issue your consent, you’re agreeing to terminate your legal parental rights so that your child’s parents can assume those rights.

This process is different for women in each state, but it’s important that you work with your adoption agency to properly give consent to your child’s adoption. A good adoption agency will always ensure that women have free access to independent legal counsel for this step because it’s important that you fully understand what you’re agreeing to. Not all adoption attorneys or other types of professionals will provide this level of protection for you.

Step 7: Continue to work on your relationship with your child’s adoptive family as well as your child.

After placement, you don’t have to say goodbye to your child forever. However you and the adoptive family agreed to communicate prior to giving birth, it’ll be time to work on developing that relationship after your child is born and goes home with them. Please know that, if you need a little more time to grieve in the beginning, this is completely acceptable. You can take some time for yourself after giving your unborn baby up for adoption before reconnecting with your child’s adoptive family.

Know that, you are completely within your right to make any choice you feel is right for yourself and your child. If you feel that you want to put your unborn baby up for adoption, putting your unborn child up for adoption can be an amazing journey for both you and your baby.

If you’re considering adoption for your unborn child, contact us today to get the support you need.